Self-feeding grease-cup.



G. W. BEIERLY.

SELF FEEDING GREASE CUPl APPLICATION man 11111.31,1914.

Patented July 27', 1915.

2'S11EETs-SHEET1.

G. W. BEIERLY.

SELF FEEDING GREASE CUP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31| I9I4.

GEORGE W. :BEIERI.Y, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SELF-FEEDJNG GREASE-CUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed. January 31, 1914. Serial No. 815,774.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. BEIERLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of llVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Feeding Grease-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has relation to lubricators, and more particularly to grease cups which require the grease to be positively fed fromthe cup or container,rthe purpose beingto provide a lubricator of this character which embodies novel actuating means for insuring a positive feed of the lubricant when the machinery is in motion but which will not waste the grease when the parts are at rest.

The invention consists of a cup or container for receiving the grease or other lubricant, a plunger arranged to operate within such cup and positively moved by means of a screw thread, a worm gearing for rotating the plunger, said worm gearing embodying an element through which the stem of the plunger' is adapted t0 move, and means for operating the worm gearing at such a rate of speed as to insure proper and positive feed of the lubricant to the moving part.

The invention also consists of means. applied to the stem of the plunger to engage with and hold the gear element out of mesh with its companion gear when returning the plunger to normal position or removing the same from the cup to admit of replenishing such cup when the same becomes necessary.

The invention also consists of means whereby the plunger operating gearing is automatically thrown out of action when the plunger has nearly reached the limit of its feeding movement, thereby preventing injury to the working parts.

The invention further consists of the novel features, details of construction and ycombination of parts, which hereinafter will. be more vparticularly set forth, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings hereto attached Figure l is a view in elevation of a lubricator embodying the invention showing the same in operative relation. Fig. 2 is a view of the lubricator as seen when viewed from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4f is a section on the line in all the views of the drawings, by thesame j reference characters.

The numeral l designates a shaft and 2 a bearing therefor.

The lubricator embodies a cup orlike re ceptacle or container 3 which is adapted to receive the grease or other lubricant to be supplied to the bearing or moving part. The cup 3 -is provided withthe usual threaded stem 4 which makes connection with the bearing 2 or like part. ranged to operate within the cup 3 to forcibly eXpel the lubricant therefrom. The in# ner wall of the cup is screw threaded and the outer edge of the plunger is formed with a matching screw thread and rotation of the plunger serves to advance or withdraw the same according to the direction of rota4- tion. The stem 6 of the plunger is rotatable therewith and is of non-circular formV in A plunger 5 is `ary cross section to feed a corresponding opening formed in the center of a work gear 7 -`which is arranged to rest upon the top of the cup 3 and close the same thereby acting in the capacity of a cover. An annular lgroove 8 is formed in the stem 6 of the plunger at such a point as to register with the worm gear 7 when the plunger 1s near the limit of its downward movement, thereby yadmittin g of the worm gear turning without imparting any rotary movement to the stem 6 or plunger 5. to a side of the stem 6 and is preferably let into a recess formed in a side of'such stem. `The spring 9 acts as a detent to engage with A spring detent 9 is fitted the worm gear 7 when the latter is moved upward upon the stem, thereby holding the worm gear out of mesh with itsV companion gear toadmit of rotating the stem 6 and plunger backward toV withdraw the .,plun

ger from the cup to admit of the latter being bring its threaded segments or cogs in mesh with the thread of the worm 10 constituting the companion gear. Y

A shaft 11 is provided with the worm 10 which may be fitted thereto orl formed therewith and is mounted in a bracket 12 which is secured to a lug 13 forming a part of the cup 3. Longitudinal movement vof the shaft 11 is prevented by suitable set collars 14.

The shaft 11 is adapted to be rotated at any v lever l16 and dog 17, the latter being pivoted Y, tothe lever 16 and held in engagement with the teeth. of theV ratchet Vwheel 15. The lever 16 is mounted upon the shaft 11 which is retained in place by meansv of a set col? lar 18.` The lowerV end of the lever 16 is adapted to,y be engaged by means of a trip 19' attached to the shaftl,y To prevent injury t0 the parts in event of the vshaft 1 being drivenin a reverse direction the lower end ofthe lever 16 has a portion 16at pivoted thereto, the joint being formed in such a manner as to cause the part 16a to move with the lever 16- when the shaft 1 is driven in the usual direction. Backward rotation of the ratchet wheel 15l is prevented by means of a dog 20 attached to the upper end of a standard '21 rising from the bearing2 or-other convenient part of the ma chinery.'` VA contractile spring 22 is inter'- posedbetween the lowerpart of the lever l :16 and the standard 21 and returns the lever to normal position after the same has beenactuated by the stop 17 and clears such stop.

A rod 23 projecting from the standard 2.1

,engages the lever 16 and holds thesame in a .given position. Y

' the upper portion of the cup, the parts be- The ,operation of thelubricator is as follows: The cup 3 is supplied with grease or like lubricant and the plunger 5is fitted into ingfjinA the positionfsubstantially as indicated inthe drawings.l When the shaft 1 isrrotatingthe stop'17 engaging with the .lower end of the lever 16 imparts a step by .step movement to the ratchet wheel 15 andthe plunger 5 is caused to turn slowly by reason ofthe intermediate gearing substantia'lly as set forth. It is to be understood vthatthe gearing is of such a nature as tojelfect, a proper feed of the lubricant Y without yentailing any waste. When the Vmachine is at rest no lubricant is fed, hence there 'is nowasteof the grease. When the plunger has nearly reached the bottom of the cup the grooved portion 8 of the stem 6 comes in register with the worm gear 7 thereby admitting of the latter turning without imparting further movement to the plunger and as a result no damage is sustained by the working parts of the lubricator. When'it is required to replenish the cup the worm gear 7 is moved upward upon the stem 6 until engaged by the detent 9. This results in disengaging the worm gear 7 from the worm 10, hence the plunger may be rotated backward and removed from the cup to admit of a proper supply of grease or lubricant being placed in the cup after which the worm gear 7 is moved downward upon the stem 6 to close the cup and bring its thread sections in engagement with the thread of the worm 10.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while Ihave described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desiredl as are within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In a lubricator of the character speciied, the combination of a cup having its in ner wall screw-threaded, a plunger arranged within the cup and having screwthreaded engagement with the inner wall thereof, a stem projecting from the plunger and having a reduced portion, a spring detent fitted to the side of the stem and let into a recess formed in one side of said stem, a gear wheel for closing the top of the cup and fitted upon the stem of the plunger to turn therewith except when in register with the reduced portion of such stem which occurs when the plunger is about at the limit of its forward movement, said detent engaging the gear wheel upon the upward movement thereof, and means for imparting rotary movement to the gear wheel.

2. In a lubricator of the character specified, the combination of a cup having its inner wall screw-threaded, a plunger arranged within the cup and having screwthread engagement with the inner wall thereof, a stem projecting from the plunger and having a reduced portion, a spring detent fittedto the side ofthe steml and let into `a recess formed in one side of said stem, a gear wheel for closing the top of the cup and `fitted upon the stem of the plunger to turn therewith eiidept when in register In testimony whereof afX my signature with the reduced portion of such stem, in presence of two witnesses. which occurs when the plunger is about at the limit of its forward movement, a worm GEORGE W' BEIERLY gearing for imparting rotary movement to Witnesses:

the gear wheel and mechanism for operat- W. H. RAYMOND,

ing the worm gearing. R. B. HENNING.

Comes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D.. C. 

